Assassin's Creed Shadows: Ubisoft drops major update on storyline

Ubisoft has dropped a major update about the modern-day storyline of its upcoming game Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

The game franchise’s executive producer Marc-Alexis Cote said that the developer had difficulty in managing the modern-day segment of the storyline after the death of protagonist Desmond at the end of 2011’s Assassin’s Creed 3.

“With his death at the end of Assassin’s Creed 3, we faced a creative crossroad,” Cote said. “Ending Desmond’s arc was a difficult decision, and afterward, the modern storyline struggled to find its footing.”

According to the Ubisoft official, the modern storyline arc became predictable as the following titles continued focusing on characters hunting for Isu artefacts.

He said that the storyline “reduced the conflict between the Templars and the Assassins to a straightforward pursuit of control over – let’s be honest – magical relics.”

Read more: Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Ubisoft responds to further delay reports

The approach in turn made the modern-day storyline a secondary concern or more of a side quest, rather than an integral part of the overall experience, he added.

However, Cote said that Ubisoft was working to put history back at the centre of the player’s experience in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

“The modern-day storyline will explore deeper themes of memory, identity and autonomy, how the past shapes who we are, and how controlling this past can impact our future,” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that Ubisoft in September announced to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows until February 14, 2025, from its initial planned release on November 15.

In the announcement, the developer said that the weak performance for the new game “Star Wars Outlaws” and lower than-expected profit in the most recent quarter were among the reasons behind the delay in the release date.